In a new study, researchers found that a type of drugs used for lowering levels of triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood may also reduce the risk of heart attacks when combined with statins.
In addition, new drugs may help reduce blood sugar levels and cut the risk of diabetes.
The research was done by a team from the University of Cambridge.
Previous research has shown that the major factor leading to heart disease is high levels of low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol, which is often called “bad cholesterol”.
Statins can lower LDL levels effectively and help prevent heart disease. They are the current gold standard for high cholesterol treatment.
But some people who take statins still have heart attacks, and this has been partly linked to high levels of triglycerides in their blood.
In addition, statins may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in some patients.
In the study, the team found that the new drugs, which are called lipoprotein lipase enhancers, could decrease levels of triglycerides.
These drugs could be paired with statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs to reduce heart disease risk.
The team also found that people who took the new drugs had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. This suggests that these new drugs may improve blood glucose control when paired with statins.
Currently, these new drugs are still in pre-clinical or early clinical stages of development.
The team believes that they hold promise for developing better treatments for heart disease while reducing the potential side effects of statins.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Lotta.
The study is published in JAMA Cardiology.
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